Peep Sierra Leone

There is a secret war going on at Syke Street between authorities of the Ministry of Education and those of a Greek Orthodox Church. It is all about the name of a school which is standing along that street.

And this war is creating a lot of distress not only for parents of pupils but also the pupils themselves. It may sound like a storm in a tea cup but it is an almighty problem that may result in the closing down of the school. Most parents whose children attend that school have vowed not to pay their children's school fees until the problem about the school's name is resolved. The school was originally named after former Mayor of the Freetown Municipality, Dr. June Holst Roness but in 2009 with name and all, the Freetown City Council, under the leadership of his worship, Mayor George Herbert Williams, leased it for 49 years to the Greek Orthodox Church which is headed by Father Themi. The lease is for USD 4000 a year with conditions that the school compound be fenced by the leasee and maintenance done to the school itself. Believing that the agreement between the Church and the FCC seals everything, Father Themi invited the Mayor to a big ceremony to change the School's name to Freetown Orthodox School. All went well for a time after the change of name but things were to turn sour after Board members of the Ministry of Education invited the Church authorities to a meeting where they thoroughly rollicked the Church representatives including Father Themi and declared that things must remain as they were originally never mind the lease. Now the school song, books, report cards and all documents bear the name "Dr. June Holst Roness". The Principal of the school, Ms. Marcella Boyle insisted that the school is still June Holst Roness School.

"This is a problem of the animate and the inanimate", Ms. Boyle told Peep. "What the Church leased was the inanimate and not the animate. In other words, the Church now owns the property but not the school". Father Themi who came to Peep's office said that the Church has no problem with anyone. "We are here to help and not to exploit", Father Themi said. "Since we came to this country we have poured billions of Leones to help the needy.

We do not collect a single cent from anybody. In fact we have built sixteen classrooms, two storey school. If the people of this country choose to do what they are doing it's up to them".